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Having teased fans over several months by drip-feeding singles from their new album, Swedish metallers Sabaton have at last finally delivered the money shot in the guise of their tenth studio effort ‘The War To End All Wars’. A continuation of 2019’s ‘The Great War’, ‘The War To End All Wars’ remains in the trenches and battlefields, and folklore of the First World War 1914 – 1918; a war with so many stories to tell that one concept album was not enough, and sadly a war where the phrase “The war to end all wars” was not prophetic in the slightest.
‘The War To End All Wars’ is bookended by two tracks that serve as an intro and an outro respectively, two fine examples of how much Sabaton have developed over the years as a band; so much so that there is very little singing on either track, instead the band opt for narration, music, and bombastic choral vocals. The album begins with ‘Sarajevo’ and ‘the shot heard around the world’ (alternatively ‘shots heard around the world’); the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo 1914, an event considered to be one of the immediate causes of the First World War. Some forty or so minutes later, the album ends with a very similar piece; ‘Versailles’, which deals with The Versailles Treaty that brought about the end of the war, and to an extent, would sow the seeds for another conflict. After a few moments of narration, the chanting, choral vocals kick in along with slow, sludgy riffs until 02:50 minutes when drummer Hannes Van Dahl comes in at breakneck speed and combines well with guitarists Chris Rörland and Tommy Johansson for a pulsating musical interlude that ends with Rörland peeling off a beautiful, emotive, soulful guitar solo. The choral vocals are repeated over and over, and although only a few lines in duration they certainly pack a punch. ‘Stormtroopers’ quickly follow on and like the titular soldiers, it is fast-paced and comes flying out of the traps…so much so that it might just replace ‘Ghost Division’ as the traditional set-opener once the tour kicks off.
One of the standout moments of the album lands with the arrival of ‘Dreadnought’; more of a classic hard rock vibe on this one, think ‘Different Strangers’-era Deep Purple with atmospheric deep, booming baritone vocals and a real sense of menace. Tommy Johansson takes the lead solo on this one and knocks it out of the park, but it’s the solid partnership of Pär Sundström on bass and the aforementioned Hannes Van Dahl that sneaks the plaudits. Vocalist Joakim Brodén sounds larger-than-life as he always does and the track offers up something a little bit different from what you might expect from Sabaton, this one is going to be a lot of fun when performed live. One of the most noticeable differences on ‘The War To End All Wars’ is that the guitars seem heavier, more in your face than 2016’s ‘The Last Stand’ for instance. Rörland and Johansson sound like they have taken all the pent-up aggression from being forced off the road for two years and unleashed it as soon as the ‘record’ button was pushed in the studio. The keyboard-heavy aspect of ‘The Last Stand’ features on ‘Soldier Of Heaven’ and the pulsing John Carpenter-Esque synth sound adds an extra dimension to a punchy track packed with so many hooks that it will rattle around in your skull for some time afterward. And that’s one of the biggest appeals of Sabaton; Brodén’s enunciation is so clear that he makes it easy to pick up the lyrics almost instantly and the listener can’t help but join in: ‘The Unkillable Soldier’ is impossible to resist, just go with the flow and raise the steins skywards as Brodén and combined choir explode to life as soon as the galloping song begins. Likewise, try and not air-drum along with Van Dahl on the Maiden-meets-Metallica tinges of ‘Hellfighters’…nope, not going to happen.
It might seem bizarre talking about what is essentially a Christmas song in March, but ‘Christmas Truce’ is way more than just a Christmas song, it is something special. With music from Brodén and lyrics from both himself and Sundström, this is arguably Joakim Brodén’s finest moment in a career packed full of fine moments. Played at a waltz-like pace in places, and with a gospel choir for added emotion, this is Sabaton’s ‘Stairway To Heaven’, or their ‘Freebird’…the moment that will have many wiping away a tear when they witness it in a live setting. Brodén’s piano is crucial to the song, and it controls the pace throughout. When the music stops and it’s only the swaying vocals…then the band crashes back in…mindblowing. Simply mindblowing. One of those rare “wow” moments.
Sabaton are on a roll, constantly evolving and upping the game with each release, and ‘The War To End All Wars’ is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s heavy, it’s varied, it grabs your attention, and in places (‘Christmas Truce’) leaves the listener in a blubbering mess on the floor. Job. Done.
Available now via Nuclear Blast. If you have the means at your disposal, opt for the earbook version as it is truly stunning.
Review – Dave
